The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-16

NOJ CccklllS lI0
The New York Tribune does not want 10
publish the truth respecting political matters
relating to the South. 1t gladly publishes
anything which appears to place the South
in AN unfavorablo light, and, that too, with
out seeking first 70 find out how much, if
alv ruth there is in it, In its Thursday
clifton it publishes a communication en-
! titled The Georgia Plan. The New South
! as it is in Fact Tho article pretends to
show that plan has been agreed upon in
| this State to prevent the polling of the full
vote. II would not be worth noticing, be
cause it is evidently written by one who is
ignorant of the things he writes about, or
who wilfully avoids the truth, if the Tribune
had not Endorsed it in an editorial article
The plan to which attention is called
and which is pointed out us the new method
for preventing full and free ballot, is the
limiting of polling places SO that all who
want to cannot vote. The two places select
ed to show what is accomplished by this
plan are Savannah and Atlanta 1t is as
serted that Atlanta has only two polling
places and Savannah only one. 1t is as
sumed that Atlanta has 1900 voters and
that each set Of election officers is expected
to handle 5000 votes. The impression in
tended to be conveyed to the public is that
5000 voters cannot be accommodated at one
polling place within the time designated by
law, and that, therefore, thousands of voters
are prevented from voting.
The attempt of the TTibuneS correspond
ent to convey a false impression is so plain
that no editor who has love for truth and
justice would indorse it. If there are voters,
white or black, either in Savannah or At
lanta who, are deprived, in the manner in
dictated, or in any other manner, of the
privilege of voting, is it not fair to presume
that the whole country would quickly be
made acquainted with the fact, That there
has been no complaints by voters, Demo-
cratic or Republican, is ample evidence that
no ground for complaint existS)
1t is true that Atlanta has only two poll
ing places and Savannah only one, but there
is more than one ballot box at each polling
place and more than one set Of election of
fceIS In Savannah the number of boxes
is regulated by the comparative importance
of the different elections. At general cleo
tons there are enough boxes provided to ac-
commodate all the voters in the county. and
at county and city elections enough to &C
commodate the number that will probably
vote. While, therefore, there is but one poll
ing place voting goes on at several boxes at
that place. The same is true with respect to
Atlanta
Nobody in this city finds fault with the
voting arrangements provided by the County
Commissioners, and the presumption is,
therefore, that everybody is satisfied with it.
The polling place is in a convenient locality,
and it is doubtful if any more votes would
be cast if the ballot boxes were distributed
over the city instead of being in one locality.
Probably the Tribune thinks that the pur-
pose of having only one polling place in this
city is to keep the negroes from voting. If
it does it is mistaken. The city has a very
large colored population, and the colored
voters are at the polls early in the day and
vote steadily until they get through. The
bulk OF the negro vote is generally cast be
fore the white vote. In the country dis
trictS as many polling places are provided as
the people seem to desire If the vote in
Georgia is not as large as the Tribune
thinks it ought to be it is because of the in
difference of the people. There is one thing,
however, that is certain. 1t is that the ne
groes do their full share of voting when they
want to, and they want to whenever they
think their interests are involved in an
election. The Tribune should get at the
facts before indorsing such stuff as the cor
respondent who furnished the Georgia
PLAN palmed Off on it, or else frankly adj
NIT that it is not seeking the truth where
the South is concerned